A COMMON heating mistake could be adding £100 to your energy bills this spring experts have warned.
After a winter of high costs, Brits will be eager to reduce their payments where we can.
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But with mornings and evenings still pretty chilly, most of us won’t have turned our heating off just yet.
Plus, as the £400 energy bill support ended last month too it’s even more important to save cash where you can.
Data from Loop, the energy-saving smart meter app, shows that 50% of households keep their heating on through April.
And a common mistake could actually be accidentally adding more to your payments, according to the energy experts.
By not lowering the temperature on your home’s thermostat, it means you could be missing out on £100 in savings.
Loop is urging households to turn their thermostat down by just one degree to save themselves the cash.
Dr Steve Buckley, head of data science at Loop, said: “If your thermostat is set too high, there’s the risk that your heating will run unnecessarily during the day, overheating your home, wasting gas and money.
“Reducing the temperature your thermostat is set to by as little as one degree can save you 10% on your bills, allowing you to still take the edge off while avoiding overheating.”
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The energy expert explained that while striking a balance between reducing bills and staying warm is tricky, ensuring you’ve got the right temp set should help to do both.
Of course if you turn your thermostat down by more than just one degree, you stand to save even more.
Dr Buckley has also shared some other top tips for saving cash this spring.
- Don’t forget your heating this Spring – it’s easy to forget to turn your heating off when the weather warms up, especially if your heating is on an automatic timer
- Switch off or swap to LEDs – turning off the lights for just an hour a day can result in a small saving of £24 over the summer, but you could save even more if you’re yet to make the swap to LEDs
- Dry clothes outside – as days get warmer, swapping your energy-hungry tumble dryer for drying laundry outside can save £150
- Better understanding means better control – Loop recommends using an energy savings app to gain better understanding of how your home uses energy will show you where to focus your energy-saving efforts
What help can I get if I’m struggling?
The energy bill help may have ended but there are still other ways you can get help if you’re struggling.
The first £301 of the £900 cost of living payment started being dished out this week.
This payment is tax-free and will not have any effect on any existing benefit payments that you receive.
More than eight million people will receive the payment.
Thousands of people could also get help through the Household Support Fund.
It was originally meant to close at the end of March but has since been extended.
The money is paid through your council and each one will have a different pot of money.
Families can get help towards their grocery shopping, child costs and energy bills.
Plus, those struggling can apply for a range of schemes that provide free cash, vouchers and more and you could get thousands of pounds.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
